


Waiting on the Dead Can Get Lonely

by RivRe



Category: Captain America (Movies), Merlin (TV)
Genre: (just a little warning for the two people in the world who haven't seen it yet and plan to), CA:TWS spoilers, Crossover, Gen, One Shot
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-02
Updated: 2014-05-02
Packaged: 2018-01-21 16:19:07
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 963
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1556579
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RivRe/pseuds/RivRe
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Seventy-year long naps can really take a toll on a person. But finding a friendly face can take off some of the stress.<br/>(aka In Which Steve and Merlin Get Together Regularly for Tea and Talk About How All Their Friends are Dead.)</p>
            </blockquote>





	Waiting on the Dead Can Get Lonely

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by a post I saw floating around Tumblr a while ago.  
> For the BBCMerlinfest. (Day 7: Crossover)

 “I’m off again tonight. Feel like coming with?” Steve took a massive bite of his sandwich, wiping at a speck of mustard that fell on his jaw. He had to eat a lot, compensating for the calories he burned, he said.

“Nah.” Merlin sipped his tea, enjoying the way it burned down his throat. They were sitting in a café in Brooklyn, a cozy place with soft music playing in the background and patrons filtering in and out. “I have a flight out soon. Where you off to?”

“A pirate took control of a SHIELD ship, has everyone hostage. Natasha and I are going after it.”

Merlin swirled his cup, watching the liquid dance inside it. He had been a part of the 107th. When Steve had been searching the facility, looking for Bucky, he had found Merlin, lying unconscious and strapped to a table. When Steve had come in, he’d started waking up, and by the time the captain released his bindings, he was fully alert. Before they got the chance to stagger out, however, a Hydra member found them. When his gun jerked from his hand and hit him over the head, knocking him unconscious, Steve didn’t have the time to ask any questions of the boy with the glowing eyes. But he wasn’t among the survivors when they returned to their base.

After he’d woken up, Steve had taken a trip to England with Natasha. Seated in the aisle seat on Nat’s other side so Steve could keep his gaze glued on the view, sat the boy with the glowing eyes. That day they had been blue, not yellow, but Steve never forgot a face.

“Sounds fun,” Merlin said dryly. “Would love to crash, but I’m sure you can handle it without me.”

He laughed. “Yeah, Nat could probably do it herself. I’m just along for the ride.”

“It’s a shame I still never had a chance to have a real conversation with her. Maybe next time I’m in town?”

“Yeah, for sure.” He swallowed another big bite. “You’re staying by the lake?”

Merlin’s smile was grim. “Where else?”

“Keep me posted, okay? You shouldn’t be stuck in that hermit-hole of yours. It always drags you down so far, and whenever you pull yourself out, you’re always worse for wear. Waiting on the dead can get lonely.”

Merlin shook his head. “He’s not dead, just asleep,” he said firmly, not for the first time.

“Yeah, I know all about that.”

Merlin was saved from having to answer by Steve’s phone buzzing. He watched, amused, as he fumbled for it and checked the text. Getting thrown in headlong was very different from growing with the technology, Merlin knew, even if you had already had a few years to try to adjust to it.

“Nat says we’re off.”  Steve shoved the last bite into his mouth and stood up, Merlin following suit. “Don’t be alone, Merlin. I keep telling you, British SHIELD has a badge with your name on it, just waiting for you.”

“Yeah.” Merlin didn’t say anything else, and Steve clapped him on the arm, but he withdrew his hand quickly when he saw the pain in those blue eyes, not from the touch but from the memories he knew it roused.

“Take care of yourself, okay bud?” Steve shoved his hands into the pockets of his jeans as they walked out of the café.

“You too.” Merlin forced a smile. “Keep in touch.”

Steve looked like he was about to say something else, but then a sleek black car pulled up to the curb. The Black Widow gave Merlin a curt nod. Steve hopped in, and gave Merlin a salute. Merlin returned it, and the car sped off.

He started the trudge back to his loft.

***

He was walking into his house, grocery bags floating behind him, when the computer monitor beeped with a missed Skype message. As the bags settled themselves down on the table, Merlin took a seat by the computer—seven missed calls from Captain Steven Rogers. He called him back.

Steve picked up right away, his face filling the screen. He still had problems using his webcam. Merlin adjusted his own as he settled down, trying to keep from getting too tense. “Steve? What’s wrong? What happened?” Merlin’s heart sped up when he saw a cut on Steve’s forehead that hadn’t healed itself yet, and the bags under his eyes. “Are you okay?”

There was a frantic gleam in Steve’s widened eyes, and he looked slightly panicked. “It’s Bucky,” he said.

“What about him?” Had Steve finally cracked? Was 75 years all it took? To be honest, Merlin wasn’t surprised; he’d had his first bout of craziness after only six months. He hoped this new insanity wouldn’t last long; the world needed saving.

“He’s alive.”

 ***

Merlin had his hood up and his hands shoved into the sweatshirt pockets. It was a chilly day, and the wind chased the water across the lake and cut through his thick hoodie. The water lapped at the shore. There was nothing out of the ordinary.

“So a lot happened today,” Merlin said. He came at least once or twice a day whenever he was in the area; he wasn’t sure if Arthur was listening, or Freya, but he spoke anyways. “Steve called me. Apparently Barnes is alive again.” He blinked, and his cheek cooled as the line of water evaporated. “He did his waiting, and got what he wanted. What about me, Arthur?” He kicked at a rock, and it rolled down the shore into the water. “Haven’t I waited enough?”

There was no answer besides for the gentle lapping of the water. Head low and shoulders slumped, Merlin turned around and went back to his house again.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading!


End file.
